Deerfield approves medical pot zoning

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Town residents have approved a zoning bylaw that would allow medical marijuana treatment centers in the Deerfield Industrial Park and a small section south of Elm Street.

The Planning Board held two public hearings on the zoning bylaw, including one held right before a special town meeting Monday, during which residents approved the change.

The bylaw creates a medical marijuana overlay district. The overlay district includes the Planned Industrial District, which is made up by the industrial park off Route 116, and the southern portion of the Industrial District. The targeted industrial district is located south of Elm Street and borders the railroad to the east, Route 5 to the west and the Whately town line to the south.

The treatment centers are allowed only within the overlay district with a special permit issued by the Board of Selectmen.

No treatment centers are allowed to be sited within a 500-foot radius of a school, day care center or any facility in which children congregate, which complies with the state Department of Public Health regulations.

Of the five applicants vying for a Franklin County license to operate a registered medical marijuana dispensary, two applicants have proposed Deerfield as their desired dispensary locations on their state applications for the initial phase of the process.

JM Farm’s Patient Group, directed by James Pasiecnik of Whately, Nicholas Spagnola of Revere and Joshua Soditis of Somerville have proposed siting a dispensary and cultivation center in Whately. The group has also eyed several spots in Deerfield, but have not made their location public yet.

A New Leaf Inc. directed by Josh Goldman, Marina Goldman and Susan Lowry, all of Montague have proposed Deerfield as a site. Goldman is the founder of Australis Aquaculture, a fish farm in Montague.